Concrete construction



May 5, 1925. 1,536,202

c. B. FOSTER CONCRETE CON STRUQTI ON 6 Inderdrr aarled B. 1 55i???" Filed Sept. 25, 1920 a Sheets-Sheet 1 i,

"May 5, 1925.

- c. B. FOSTER CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .44.. 7674 15 I7 l5 -1-----------/- --v Meniart- Cfia/r'ea 32556397:

May 5, 31925.

c. B. FOSTER CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

CHARLES n. rosrnn, or mnmimroms, INDIANA.

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 25, 1921). Serial No. 412,723.

To all abhom it mag concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLEs B..Fosrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of. Indiana," have invented new and useful Improvements 111 Concrete Constructions, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates. to a new concrete construction and method of making the same, which construction may be a trainshed, a loading platform, a portion of a 1 building, or other desired construction of a similar nature.

Among the objects of my invention are to produce a strong monolithic concrete unit slab and} supporting means, to produce a strong monolithic concrete arch slab, to pro duce a concretetruss slab, to provide. a new and improved methodof forming concrete structures, and such further objects, advantages and "capabilities fully appear. I My invention further resides: in the combinatiomconstruction, and arrangement of as will later more parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in the parts of my method herein disclosed, and while Ihave shown in the anr nexeddrawings, preferredembodiments, I

desire the same to be understood as illustrative only, and not as limiting my invention. a I

n In the accompanying drawings illustratingmy said invention, Fig. 1 is a diagraminvention and illustrating the arrangement matic plan of an arch slab according to my of parts whenthe supporting members are "placedat the corners of a slab, the concrete being broken away from the top to expose the reinforcement; Fig. 2 is a similar view but "showingthe slab supported by a centrally arranged post', and. with the thick 3 portion at the center; Fig. 3 is a broken plan view showing the arrangement of truss work and flooring used in the making of my new construction; Fig.4 is a vertical section through the structure shown in Fig.

3, substantially along the plane indicated by lime-4:, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, looking upwardly, in a constructionsuch :as shown inFig. 6; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, substantially through the centersof the columns shown in Fig. 5; Fig.

7 is abroken elevationof a portion of a "loading platform or traineshed, to illus "in Fig. 1, the part iconnects the'edges 4. It will of course trate the application of my invention to i such astructure; and Fig. 8 is a cross-section through a structure such as illustrated inFig.7.

Referring more in detail to the annexed drawings, numeral 1 indicates the supporting columnsor posts and 2 a supported member integraltherewith. This supported member may constitute I either a roof' for a platform of floor below, may be arfl'oor in itself, or may constitute both a floor for one spaceand a roof for another. It extends laterally away from the supporting column, and consists of two parts 3 and 4:, the first of which gradually diminishes in thickness away from the column to form cantilever portions, while the'part e is of substantially uniform thicknessthroughout its entire extent. The supported structure or slab 2 may haveits connection with the column 1 reinforced by a collar 5 tapering'upwardly and outwardly. Where the structure is formed as a single monolithicslab and sup porting column, as inFig. 2, the portion 4 surrounds the outside thereof. Where, however, an arch slab construction is used,

supportedupon a plurality of columns, as a portions having a decreasing thickness. In

1 Fig. 1 the parts of uniform thickness are shown between the dotted lines, while the have their edges connected together by narrower or wider strips 4 in order to vary the size of the structure as awhole.

In thus varying the size of strips 4 it may even result that they willbe entirelydispensed with. In this connection it should also be noted that the columns may be rectangular, hexagonal or other'form, in crosssection, equally as well as circular and'that the portions 3 may be invertedfrusto-conical as well as inverted frusto-pyramidal. When the parts are made in this form, the "under surface of part 3 will have the same pitch along all lines radiating from the columns and the parts i have theirportions, intermediate adjacent parts 3, more or less pointed depending upon whether or not the adjacent inclined surfaces contact at their outer edges or are some distance apart. In any of these forms the collar 5 may be used or omitted as is deemed necessary or 'desirable.

Use is made of reinforcing rods 6 extending substantially at right angles to each other and embedded in the concrete to assist in supporting the same. These rods are substantially straight throughout their lengths, and are nearest together in the vicinity of the columns where the strain is greatest and farther apart at points more remote from the columns. The arrangement of these reinforcing rods is shown most .clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, in which are also shown diagonally arranged reinforcing rods 7.

In Figs. 3 and -l is shown the arrangement of the centering used-in the formation of one of the forms of my new construction. It Will be apparent from these vfigures that a system of uprights 8 are connected at their upper ends by beams 9, 10. 11. 12 and 13, "on which rest the floor sections 16 and 17, for forming respectively the portion ofuniform thickness and the portion increasing gradually in thickness towards the-columns. Extending downwardly from the central portion of the floor is a frustoconical member by means'of which is formed the collar 5. .Estending downwardly from the lower end of this is a substantially cylindrical member 19 by means of which the column is formed. It will therefore be seen that if plastic concrete material is poured into the frusto-conical member 18, the same will run downwardly and fill thetubular member 19, and when this is full if more plastic material isiadded, member 18 will be filled, and finally portions 3 and a will be formed. thefinal result-being a monolithic structure so shaped as to support quite considerable loads. and yet with all excess material omitted where by the cost is reduced to a minimum. It is of course understood that before the entire concrete mass is formed the reinforcing rdsl6 and 7 are .placed in position so as to be thoroughly and firmly imbedded in the concrete. I

The formation of the construction shown :inFig. 3, when same is to be used for the imaking of any of the shapes referred to above will be obvious and need not be described. i

It will be seen from the above that the ateinforcing ri'ods, placed near the upper surfaces of the slabs. will resist any tendency for the outer portions thereof to sag, since it Will be necessary if they do sag for the lrods to be stretched or the concrete in the under part of parts 3 and .part 4 to be compressed. In other words, since. steel is strongest under tension and concrete under compression, these parts are so arranged as to give the maximum strength for the amount of material used, which. can be varied according to the amount of load to be supported.

The solid lines in Fig. indicate the lines along which the direction of slope changes. The circles surrounding the columns I also indicate changes in slope. which will be evident upon a comparison of Figures 5 and 6.

The loading platform shown in liigs. 7 and 8 employs the same priuriple of arch slab construction as that described above,

and it is therefore thought unnecessary to describe-this further, other than to refer to the slope of the upper surface of the cover toward the drain pipes and the casing of the columns 1 by protecting members 21.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structure and method set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of my invention, asset forth in this specification and the appended claims.

n Having now described my invention. I claim:

1. In a concrete construction. a column. a slab integral therewith, and having a collar at the junction of said column and slab, said collar tapering downwardly and inwardly toward the column to form a reinforcement for the junction, said slab tapering laterallvv from the'column so as to have a decreasing-thickness in all directions from the column.

2. In concrete construction, a column, a slab integral therewith, and having a collar at the junction of. said olumn and slab said collar tapering downwardly and inwardly toward the column to form a reinforcement for the junction, said slab tapering laterally from the column-seas to have a decreasing thickness in all directions from the column and means provided with suitable reinforcing rods to strengthen the structure.

3. In a concrete construction, a Eplurality of columns, substantially rectangular slabs of concrete surrounding and integral with the columns. and having their adjacentedges integrally united by concrete sections of substantially uniform thickness, said slabs decreasing in thickness in any direction away from the columns, to their junction with the connecting sections the opposite edges of the connecting-sections being substantially parallel.

4:. In a concrete construction, a plurality of columns. slabs 'of concrete surrounding and integral with the columns. and having their adjacent edges integrally united by concrete sections of substantially uniform thickness-and width. said slabs decreasing in thickness in any direction away from the columns to their junction with the connecting section, said concrete being provided in its upper portion with suitable reinforcing rods extending longitudinally and laterally.

5. In a concrete construction, a plurality of columns, a slabot concrete integral with each of the columns, and decreasing in thickness away from the column, the adjacent edges of adjacent slabs being integrally connected, and metallic reenforcing rods extending longitudinally and transversely of the structure and diagonally thereof to connect alternately arranged columns.

6. In a concrete construction, a plurality of columns arranged in the form of adjacent rectangles, a slab of concrete integral with each of the columns and decreasing in thickness toward points more remote from the columns along any line radiating therefrom, the adjacent edges of the slabs being integrally connected, said columns being provided with integral collars at the points of junction of the slabs and columns, said/ collars tapering downwardl and inwardly toward the columns.

7. In a concrete construction, a plurality otcolumns, arranged 1n rectangular formation, a concrete slab integral with each column, said slabs tapering laterally away from each column and being integrally united at their adjacent edges, so as to form an arch extending from each column to each of its adjacent columns.

8. In a concrete construction, a plurality of columns, arranged in rectangular formation, a concrete slab integral with each column, said slabs tapering laterally away from each column and being integrally united at their adjacent edges by parallel sided slabs of substantially uniform thickness formed simultaneously with the first named slabs so as to form an arch extending from each column to each adjacent column.

9. In a concrete construction, a plurality of columns arranged in the form of a rectangle, a slab of concrete integral with each column and decreasingin thickness from the columns toward a central area between adjacent columns, said concrete being provided with truss rods to act in conjunction therewith to form a trussed arch.

10. In a concrete construction acolumn,

and a slab integral therewith, said slab taporing laterally from the column so as to be of decreasing thickness in all directions leading from the column, thereby providing .a cantilever cross section which comprises approximately the entire slab.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification,

CHARLES B. FOSTER. 

